


The Spring Litter

by OracleHylia



Series: The Call of Nature [2]
Category: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Genre: Don't Like Don't Read, F/M, Fetish fic, Unplanned Pregnancy, Wolf Instincts, Zelink forever, wolf puppies are the best
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-17
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:01:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26507116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OracleHylia/pseuds/OracleHylia
Summary: Zelda underestimates the power of canine fertility. After relieving Link of his wolf instinct to mate, she finds she may have gotten more out of it than she thought. With spring approaching, life is blossoming everywhere and Zelda is on the list, helping add to the divine beast population.
Relationships: Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Series: The Call of Nature [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1891717
Comments: 6
Kudos: 64





	1. Chapter 1

Zelda shifted uncomfortably in her seat, the rough texture of the fabric on the chair feeling abrasive against her skin. Her ears were ringing slightly at the harsh sounds of the council bickering, seated at the table around her. When the noise reached its apex and the ringing in her ears became unbearable she stood up and slammed her fists against the table.

"Enough!" she shouted.

All arguments immediately ceased and they all turned to stare at her wide-eyed. She released a breath, slowly sitting back down. It wasn't like her to lose her nerve like this. She sighed, attempting to full herself together and faced the council again.

"If you're worried about certain Noble Houses fighting with each other during the spring Equinox Ball; make a list of dance and introduction arrangements that you think will work and let me look through it later, Understood?"

They all gave their consent, some of them albeit grudgingly. Councilman Holgaire was one such member; who would use any excuse and hold it against her. He gave her a look that promised he would remember this little "shouting slip-up". As soon as they were dismissed she let her shoulders sag in relief and made her way back to her chambers. As she let the door shut behind her, she made her way over to her bed and sat down heavily upon it. She pressed a hand over her stomach trying to assuage the uncomfortable pressure in her lower abdomen. She looked over at her desk and saw her maid had brought her dinner; Hylian Fried Rice and Wild Greens. She went over to her desk, sat down, and began to eat. She grimaced as she swallowed a bite, usually, she enjoyed this meal, but today it tasted like metal. Sighing, she took a few more bites before putting the platter aside and started going over some official documents. Today was just not her day.

\- - - - -- - - - - -- - - - - - - - -- - - -

Link gave atired sigh as he stood up, reaching his arms behind his back and stretching painfully. He had spent the week hoeing and fertilizing the fields alongside the rest of the villagers of Ordon. He'd been busy since he came back a week ago, helping prepare the expectant goats for birth and getting the fields ready for planting. Just then-Mayor Bo came up to him, accompanied by Sera who was holding a tray of drinks of milk.

"Well-done my boy," Mayor Bo clapped him on the back, "At this rate, we'll be finished by the end of April!"

He passed Link a cup of milk who downed it gratefully, despite the cool air, he had worked up quite a sweat. Mayor Bo called out to everyone working to take a break. As they all headed over for a drink of milk, Link walked over to the fence lining the edges of the fields and leaned against it, lost in thought. He tried to focus on planning the layout of the crops but his mind kept coming back to what happened over a week ago, more specifically; Zelda. At first, he'd been happy to return to Ordon as his usual self, but as the week wore on he found himself reminiscing more and more about Zelda.

His recent visit to Castletown had been the first time he's seen her in a while and if he was being honest, if he hadn't had to help out in Ordon, he probably would've stayed there longer just to enjoy her company. He lifted his head up to face his surrogate father as he heard Rusl approach. Rusl's expression fell as he went up to him, filling with concern. 

"Why the long face Link? You look like somebody just stole your favorite goat."

He blinked, did he really look so down? He shook himself, erasing all thoughts of Zelda and Castletown from his mind.

"It's nothing, I was just . . . . . lost in thought."

Rusl looked as if he wanted to say something but thought the better of it and just gave Link's shoulder a friendly squeeze before they both headed out to the field again.

m


	2. Week 2

Zelda groaned as she laid back against the pillows leaning against the headboard, wiping the vomit from her lips. Never in her life did she ever remember feeling so awful. her poor condition she'd had the previous week had worsened, going from uncomfortable to unbearable. She was starting to become seriously concerned with the side effects of being a wolf. At the beginning of the week, she had found herself salivating at the thought of Reekfish (much to her disgust). In order to satisfy her craving, she'd raced over to Zora's Domain in her wolf form, slobber dripping gout of her mouth the whole way. 

She'd headed back to the castle without washing the stench off; though she quickly came to regret her decision. the smell soon became nauseating, so she'd taken a quick bath and afterward had fallen into a light snooze. Only to be woken 30 minutes later by the sound of the announcer informing her she was late to a meeting with King Rails in the throne room. As the week went on her health declined even more. Her chest would ache from even the loosest of corsets and the feeling would linger even after removal, even though it had never bothered her this much before.

Her nausea worsened and after heaving onto one of her imported silk gowns, her ever thoughtful maid; Bella, brought in an old clay pot for her. Her exhaustion was nearly as bad as nausea. Sometimes it was just a feeling of tiredness, other times she felt as though she wanted to collapse. She had nearly dozed off in her council meeting on more than one occasion, she was certain councilman Holgaire was keeping track of every little incident, and if it wasn't from dozing, it was from the frequent bathroom trips that interrupted their meetings.

Then there was the other problem. She'd only taken note of it yesterday. Her stomach had swelled to the point where the slight bump was obvious to anyone within close range. Figures, the first time she actually manages to keep down some fried greens, milk, and goat cheese it backfires on her.* She certainly felt bloated, her stomach tight and uncomfortable as it was filled with gas bubbles. She placed her hands over her belly and moaned as her stomach churned painfully. She wondered if she was sick with Typhoid Fever, some of the Castletown residents had currently and she might've caught it from one of the servants who brought her food.

It wasn't just the food though, she hadn't gotten almost any exercise in the past couple weeks. (which was unlike her). She hadn't gone out as a wolf due to exhaustion and fixed her craving by simply putting in an order for them. She looked over to stare out the window, her thoughts drifting to Link, he was likely still in Ordon, preparing their crops for the coming season. though it was selfish, a small part of her wanted him here with her. He always knew just what to do to comfort her, wether be it physically or emotionally.

She considered writing him a letter about her predicament but discarded the idea. Though she didn't doubt he's come running if she told him she needed help, she didn't want to burden him with her personal problems when he was busy working. The mating situation was different, as she was the only person he knew who could help him with a magic-related incident. No, she would be fine. She had Bella bring her some ginger tea to help with the nausea while she got up and went over to her desk to work on the Gerudo Treaty.

*Beans, lentils and dairy can cause bloating.


	3. Week 3

Zelda's PoV

Everything had been arranged. Bella, her decoy, was likely on her way now. being helped into the carriage by the footmen and heading off with a squadron of soldiers to begin her pilgrimage to the spirit springs, starting with the one in Kakariko. The pilgrimage to the four springs was a must for anyone who wished to become a priestess of the Goddesses. It was Bella's dream to become as such, though her families lack money and status had deprived her of it before, Zelda's need to escape prying eyes had given her an opportunity. Even though she was pretending to be someone else, the droplet of light she received at the end of the ritual would belong to her alone. Giving her dear maid enough credibility to finally obtain her dream as a priestess.

She thanked the Goddesses once again for making her and Bella look so similar, and that the white maidens outfit needed for the ritual required a heavy veil covering the face. Of course, as Bella had left the room earlier, Zelda had cast an illusion spell on her maid to prevent any suspicion. As she heard the carriage roll away from the castle, she let out a sigh of relief and released the spell, trying to ignore the splitting headache and fatigue it brought on. She quickly did an inventory check with the pouch hanging from her hip while recalling what had brought her to such desperate measures.

The week had started similar to the one previous, the usual fatigue and upset stomach. She had announced that day that she was recovering from Typhoid Fever and ordered tha no one come near her chambers while she recovered, except her maid, lest they become sick. She'd fought back and forth with the castle doctors on it till she finally agreed to have Bella act as a go-to of sorts for the doctors. Looking back on it, Zelda thought, perhaps she'd known what was wrong before she'd wanted to admit it. As the next couple of days passed by, she'd began to come to terms with what was really going on. She'd been laying on her bed, faint and dizzy, her ever-swelling stomach aching from growing pains when the thought crossed her mind that she might actually be pregnant.

It must've been when she'd had sex with Link. As a wolf. The possibility hadn't occurred to her in her spur of the moment decision, but looking back on it she berated herself for not remembering that when it came to most wild animals, it usually only took one try. Also, considering the fact that the wolf expectancy period was only about two months and that pups usually came in litters of more than one, explained why she was growing so big, so fast. It made sense. It terrified her.

She'd spent the next hour and a half trying not to hyper-ventilate, pacing around her room, and was nearly in hysterics (she blamed the mood swings) when she confided in her maid, Bella. (Not the whole situation of course, she left out the part where he was the Hero of Twilight and that they were both wolves) By the end of it though, they both agreed that Zelda had to leave the castle until they were born. Never once did she consider aborting them, she had been taught that all life; whether intentional or not, was precious. Besides they were Link's children too, she simply couldn't kill the offspring of her country's Hero, not to mention her dearest friend.

And then there was the other thing to think about. Her mind, slow as it was with all the headaches, hadn't caught on to it till a couple of days later. She'd been devouring plate after plate of medium-rare deer meat slathered in Chuchu slime. (A combination of extreme hunger, cravings, and just plain stress eating) When it really occurred to her just what was growing inside her womb. Her imagination had produced all sorts of ideas. Terrifying creatures that were half-man, half-wolf lept from her mind. It was several minutes before she managed to calm herself down, taking long, slow gulps of water from a tall glass, ignoring the signals her too-full bladder was sending her.

She forced herself to think about it logically, based on what she knew about human and canine biology. Wolf fetuses were small, to the point where it would be difficult to tell if a she-wolf was pregnant unless examined closely. A wolf's first litter was usually small, with the average being 2-3 pups and the number steadily increasing with each litter. With this in mind, Zelda came to conclusion. One: at the moment she was likely carrying human fetuses. Two: she was probably having two or three, definitely more than one. Three: she couldn't be certain, but she believed that when she transformed back into a human everything on and in her changed to its human equivalent. Meaning; though the fetuses inside her were conceived as wolves, they'd become human after she'd transformed back. She'd assumed they'd become wolves again if she turned back into one, but at the moment she was too nauseous to try and perform such complicated magic.

After the meal, while she was rubbing her bloated belly, an idea occurred to her on a whim. What if she were to use her magic to look inside herself and see what the fetuses looked like? (she couldn't bring herself to call them babies) For her level of magic it wasn't a difficult spell, it was more the question of: did she have the courage to do it? She held her breath as she peered into her womb, taking a moment to make sure she knew what she was looking at. There were three, three fetu- no three babies inside her womb. She pulled out slowly, releasing breath and willing her dizziness to go away. 

They were human, at least, they looked human. Though they were much more developed than she'd anticipated, looking closer to 3 months along rather than just 3 weeks. She looked down at her noticeably protruding belly and ran her hand down the length of it. No wonder she had grown so big, so soon. She was carrying triplets inside of her, growing about four times the rate of an average human. Which, she suspected, had something to do with the fact that they had been conceived ny magic wolves. In hindsight, she realized that was a good thing, as it meant she wouldn't have to spend eight months away from the castle and have the council get suspicious of the time frame.

Based on the information she already had, Zelda assumed that she would give birth in a few months. That's where the plan for Bella to take a pilgrimage, under the guise that she was the princess, came in. As far as the pilgrimage's time frame was concerned, it was a bit of a stretch, but knowing Bella's gift for stalling, she felt as though she could rest easier. Ignoring the way the room spun around her when she stood up, she threw her hood over her head and made her way over to her window. She fought back the headache coming on and concentrated as she touched the lock of Midna's hair hanging from a small pouch around her neck.

It took her a moment to get used to being a wolf again, mostly because things were a bit different this time around. She wasn't as slim as before, her belly hanging lower and several dark pink tits peeking out from under her belly fur, heavy with milk. On instinct, she reached down ad gave her belly a few gentle licks. She then forcibly stopped herself and proceeded to climb out the window and onto the roof, making her way to the hidden passage. She almost stopped in her tracks when she felt something brush against her legs. She realized her swollen belly was swinging lightly against her legs whenever she walked. That was going to take some getting used too.

\- - - - -- - - - - - -- - -- - -- -- - - -  
Zelda's PoV

She almost gagged when the smells of Castletown hit her. Because she was pregnant (not to mention a wolf) her sense of smell was incredibly heightened. There was just too much going on at once, the overwhelming scents blending into one another was starting to make her light-headed. If she was in her human form she would've just used her cloak to cover her nose but she didn't want to risk getting recognized. Also because she felt much less vulnerable being pregnant as a wolf than she did as a human. Maybe it was because she had her teeth and claws to defend herself with while her magic was virtually unusable at the moment in her human form.

She stayed to the shadows of the alleyways as she had before, attempting to dismiss the headache pounding in her skull from all the noise. She breathed an audible sigh of relief when she finally made it to Hyrule Field, enjoying the relative quiet for a moment and picking up and her pace before being assaulted by a whole new set of worries. What if she was going to be attacked by Bulbins? What if her symptoms worsened and she couldn't make it safely in time? What if her running was hurting the pups?! Zelda forced her wolf mind aside, she had simply planned on letting her wolf instincts take over but apparently having pups changed the way her wolf thought, so letting her take control wasn't a good idea in her current state of mind. As she headed into Faron woods she was forced to take a to stop and rest farther in by a little stream, drinking the water in large gulps when her dizziness and fatigue became too much.

Now, at last, she had reached her destination. She recognized the old stone triforce inlaid in the ground, almost completely hidden by the moss and leaves. Following where it pointed, she pushed through a thicket of brambles and gnarled old trees, entering into a hidden, beautiful clearing where a large cottage lay. It was a safe house for the Royal family, but she was certain no one had been here for at least a century. The wards placed around it kept the house in perfect condition though it was difficult to tell from the outside, what with the ivy and moss lining its walls and roof.

She headed up to the front porch and let out a growl of frustration when she saw that the keyhole required a 12th-century enchanted key, something she didn't have. then she looked down slightly and felt relief course through her. Thank the Goddesses thought to install a doggie door for the Sheikah blood-hounds they often brought with them. She squeezed through the little door, just barely able to fit, with her swollen belly pressing against the bottom of it. As she turned back into her human form and walked into the living room, the enchanted fireplace roared to life, instantly warming the room and the large kitchen adjacent to it. She swayed on her feet as she made her way over to the lounge next to the fireplace and laid heavily on it, her body begging her to rest. She kicked off her boots and pulled down her hood before wrapping her arms around a pillow and falling into a deep sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally I just planned for this to be a really simple preg fic with basically zero plot, and then yesterday i got really into the story and went above and beyond. Now here I am already planning a sequel and everything. Chapters might take a bit longer to get posted though beccause they're much more detailed. Just a heads up :)


	4. week 4

If somebody had told Zelda a month ago that simple tasks such as reaching down to pick a spoon up off the floor would become an action that required considerable effort, she would've laughed at them. But now, as she slowly reached down, leaning against the counter, legs spread apart, crouching slightly, her back aching as she attempted pick up her fallen utensil; she felt like her own worst enemy. She (and the babies) had grown rapidly in the past week. She was eternally grateful for the maternity clothes and pregnancy handbook Bella had bought her before she left, otherwise, she likely would've panicked at the state her body was in right now. She had definitely gained weight. She couldn't decide whether the fact that there was a scale in the cottage was a blessing or a curse because she checked her weight daily and there were numerous pros and cons to that.

She had gained twelve pounds in the past four weeks. This shouldn't have bothered her, because, according to the handbook, she was supposed to gain weight and since she was carrying three, rapidly growing triplets, she estimated that she should've gained sixty-five pounds total by the end of her pregnancy. She tried to reassure herself that her weight gain was perfectly on track, but as someone who worked hard to keep her body in good shape, she just couldn't get used to the changes she'd gone through recently. Her belly had grown noticeably, her hips widening to encompass its weight. Her rear and thighs had thickened considerably and her breasts had gone from a C cup to double D's. The maternity dresses Bella had given her were soft and comfortable, but she didn't like the way they clung to her figure, emphasizing her recent weight gain. Her increasing appetite as of late hadn't helped any either.

Since the cottage was perfectly preserved, all the food inside the pantry was too. She considered herself incredibly lucky Bella had once taught her the basics of cooking, otherwise, she might've been in a difficult situation. If she got nothing else from this excursion, she could at least become confident in the fact that she'd become a decent cook in the past week. The pregnancy handbooks section on diet (and her own cravings, heartburn, and indigestion) had been helpful n teaching her what she could and couldn't eat. Meat was the most difficult thing she learned to cook, which was frustrating because that was what she craved the most.

Once, earlier in the week, when she'd burned the meat she had been attempting to cook, her cravings and hunger had made her desperate enough to go hunt a couple of rabbits as a wolf. She still had mixed feelings about that. On one hand, she had never killed another living thing before in her life. On the other hand, those rabbits had tasted delicious and then two hours later she'd suffered from indigestion. Though whether it was from eating an uncooked, unwashed animal or her own pregnancy symptoms, she would never know.

She sighed as she tilted her head back and closed her eyes. Her back ached, she really wanted to go lie down. But her congested nose told her to get another handkerchief or she wouldn't be able to breathe easy. Giving in, she headed outside to go take a handkerchief from the clothesline. After (momentarily) relieving her nose of its stuffiness, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She was being watched. She whipped around and let out a gasp of surprise. She couldn't believe it.

\- - -- - -- -- - - - -- - - - -  
Link's PoV

He aimlessly trudged along in the woods, forcefully pushing past anything in his path. He'd left the village over an hour ago so they wouldn't see how aggravated he'd become with their nagging. After Rusl had called out his disturbed countenance two weeks ago, his disquiet had grown even further, to the point where the villagers noticed and tried to help him (really only made him more agitated) These past few days his wolf had been begging him to leave. So he did. The problem was he didn't even know what was bothering him! Well . . . . maybe he did, and just didn't want to admit it, even to himself. He'd become cranky and irate but underneath all that he was just feeling lonely. His time with Zelda recently had made him realize just how much he enjoyed and missed her company, though his wolf had figured that out before he did.

After Midna left and the Twilight Invasion ended, he realized how disconnected he'd become with his friends and family in Ordon. He was no longer the same person they'd known from before. It had taken him a long time to find himself again and Zelda had definitely played a role in that. She was the only other person who'd experienced it as he did, who'd understood what he'd really gone through, and who missed Midna as much as he did. Their acquaintanceship had blossomed into friendship over the course of the past two years and now . . . . maybe something more? 

He halted in his tracks as he caught wind of a frustratingly familiar scent. What-what was that? When his wolf jumped up and started howling ecstatically and running about excitedly in his mind, his curiosity piqued. He changed into his wolf form and had to forcibly calm his erratic instincts down before hurridly following the ever-stronger growing scent. It leads him to a thicket of trees where he knew its source lay beyond. He squeezed through the undergrowth and walked cautiously into a beautiful clearing where a small cottage lay and a figure stood just outside next to a clothesline, their back to him. Then the figure turned around and his heart stopped.

It was Zelda. He was so dumbfounded that he just stood there for a moment, his mouth hanging open. He had to be dreaming, his fantasies had gotten so desperate that he was actually having a hallucination of her. He blinked, her scent was real, meaning, she wasn't an illusion. What-how? He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. Then Zelda spoke, "Link?" Her word was questioning, she was just as shocked to see him as he was to see her, but oh how he'd missed the sound of her soothing voice.

"Zelda?" he said, overwhelmed. "How are you here? Why are you here?"

She looked away, anywhere but at him, and wrapped her arms around herself in embarrassment. Color lined her cheeks and she attempted to sound dignified. 

"I could ask you the same question. How did you even find this place?"

But he wasn't paying any attention to her words, had been so caught up in seeing her again he hadn't even noticed it at first. He could only stare at her, enraptured, taking in her ripened form. She was pregnant. There was no mistaking it, he'd seen plenty of pregnant women before in the village, and even if he hadn't, her round, taut, stomach was a dead giveaway. His blatant staring must've been obvious because she quickly turned away from him and started hurrying back to the cottage, her embarrassment spurring her on. He abruptly shook himself out of his stupor.

"Zelda wait!"

She didn't even glance at him, continuing on without falter. He tried to get her attention, running over and keeping pace with her.

"I'm sorry, that was rude. You just . . . caught me off guard is all! You don't have to be embarrassed about it, its not like a haven't seen a pregnant woman before. But I have to know, how did this happen?"

Finally, she stopped, as she stood in the doorway, her back to him, her voice was far too even as she spoke. "Tell me, do you recall the light gray she-wolf you mated with a month ago?"

His entire body froze, " You . . ."

At last, she turned to face him, tears in her eyes, her voice strained barely above a whisper. "How do you think it happened?"

Then she slammed the door in his face, while he stood there, unblinking, for a moment. Then he absentmindedly sat down on the porch steps. Oh, Goddesses, he was such an idiot. In more ways than one, how could he have not recognized her scent as a wolf?! Had he been so blinded by his lust that his common sense had been overwhelmed? His wolf had been trying to tell him this the whole time; that he had mated with the princess of Hyrule and gotten her pregnant! And he had been too dense to figure it out! He'd gotten the princess of Hyrule, one of his dearest friends; pregnant. And there was no other way to put it. Actually no, there were worse ways to put it. He'd treated his esteemed sovereign like a common whore, he used his carnal desires to take advantage of someone he cared about and was somehow completely oblivious to the fact that he'd slept with the princess, someone he knew personally.

He was scum, no, worse than scum. He'd gotten her pregnant and then left her to fend for herself against the vicious hoard of Nobility. H put his face in his hands. he ahd to make this right, help her any way he could and atone for his sin. Letting his wolf's desires drive him to such inappropriate measures was no excuse, she deserved better than that. Summoning every ounce of courage he could muster, he knocked lightly on the door and called out,

"Zelda? Zelda please, we need to talk. I have to make this right, to help you in any way I can. You can throw me in the castle dungeons afterward, but I could never forgive myself if I didn't try to atone to what I've done to you."

After what seemed like an eternity, the door opened a crack, and Zelda's tear-stained face poked out. "Why? she whispered pleadingly, "Why are you even you still here?"

"Why? Because I'm not going to just walk away from what happened. This is my fault, I did this to you. Zelda, you're carrying my child, did you really think I would leave you to fend for yourself?"

His voice grew softer, emotion layering his words. "Zelda I . . . I care about you, a whole lot. As a friend yes, but it is so much deeper than that now. I care too much to let you go. Do you understand?"

The door was wide open now, Zelda was staring at him, trembling, tears starting to run down her cheeks. Oh, no, he'd broken her, he shouldn't have said that. Goddesses what was he thinking- All thoughts ceased as she went up and threw her arms around him and buried his face in her neck. Her voice was thick with tears,

"I thought I could handle it, that it was my responsibility to bear for acting so rashly that night, not taking any precautions,"

She sniffed. "I was so afraid that if I told what happened, who the she-wolf really was, that I was pregnant, that you would hate me."

"Zelda . . ." he whispered, on the verge of tears himself.

"But you're here, apologizing to me when I'm the one who should be saying they're sorry."

He pulled her back, staring at her face intently, cupping her face. "What? No, Zelda, I'm the one who-"

She pulled his hand away from her face and held it in hers. She shook her head. "Please, let's not argue over this anymore. We're both to blame, it takes two to make a baby after all. Let's just . . . start over."

Link stared at her gravely, "We can't do that."

Her face fell, "What, why not-"

he cut her off by placing a tender kiss on her lips. He smiled at her lovingly. "We can't start over-because we're moving forward."

She let out a shaky laugh as she embraced him again, tears streaming down her face, only this time, they were tears of joy. He held her in his arms, chuckling.

"I'm not letting you go this time, Zelda. Besides I'm eager to meet that baby of ours."

She smiled knowingly, "Babies."

His expression must've been priceless, " . . .What?"

She laughed, "Come inside, there's a lot for you to catch up on."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave comments on what you think. I enjoy feedback from my readers.


	5. Chapter 5

She pushed him down on the couch, her hands raking through his hair as she kissed him deeply. She was situated in his lap as her swollen belly pressed against him. It was one of those days when her dignity was so far gone why even bother with appearances? The Princess of Hyrule would’ve been appalled by such behavior; mother-to-be Zelda who’d been dealing with a constant headache and painfully swollen ankles for the past three days couldn’t care less.

She pulled back from Link to catch her breath, lightheadedness setting in. She grumbled internally, frustrated that pregnancy could take the joy out of something as simple as kissing. Link wordlessly reached behind him and picked up a glass of water sitting on a small table beside them and handed it to her.

She sent him an apologetic smile and began to drink slowly, feeling relieved as the dizziness gradually went away. He smoothly sat up and sidled up behind her, motioning for her to move forward before beginning to thoroughly massage her back.

She moaned, arching her back as simultaneous feelings of pleasure and relief coursed through her aching back, being replaced by the magnificent feel of Link’s calloused hands pressing into her.

“Better?” He asked, voice rough.

“Yes, thank you.” She breathed out, closing her eyes in ecstasy.

Link, she was discovering, was a Jack-of-all-trades. He could cook, clean, fight, hunt ,and provide immense comfort with a degree of some proficiency. If she wasn’t constantly being drowned in the wondrous feeling of his presence, she’d probably be overwhelmed by her own inadequacy. She already felt guilty about making him do most of the work as it was. 

He insisted on doing the more labor intensive work himself and even the small tasks she did, such as washing the dishes, he was always nearby, keeping watch for any signs of weakness. At times when her irritation grew to the point where her wolf wanted to snap at him, she tried to remind herself that he was just looking out for her and that the nature of his wolf could cause him to be overprotective towards his mate. Of course, being the output for all his and his wolf’s combined affections made the whole situation worth it. 

Link was naturally an introverted person and generally did not share his feelings so openly, but the warmth filled gazes he’d been giving was enough evidence for her. She’d started out small, light kisses on the cheek, a gentle squeeze of his hand.

His shy nature, along with the How-dare-you-touch-the-Princess-that-way-you-peasant voice in his head that she knew he had, kept him from reciprocating. It was only yesterday he’d begun to reciprocate of his own accord, creating instances such as this. Where, instead of shying away, he embraced her openly.

As Link finished up his massage, Zelda pulled out a handkerchief from the stash she always kept with her and blew into it quietly, relieving her stuffy nose. Link leaned into her, seemingly content. She glanced at the clock and sighed, she didn’t want to interrupt this moment of peace, but her grumbling stomach reminded her that she had three growing pups to feed.

She shifted, getting up off the couch and heading to the kitchen to find something to make for dinner.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - -- - - -- - -- - - - -- - - -- - - - -- - - - - -- - 

Link pondered silently as he cleared up the dining table after dinner. He knew Zelda would remind him that she could do such simple tasks herself, but he suspected it would be at least another ten minutes before she came out of the bathroom and he’d rather be cleaning than sitting idle. 

He could still hardly believe she was so far along in her pregnancy considering it had only been five weeks, but the magical nature of the Divine Beast and general expectancy timeline for wolves sped it up to the point where physically, she was actually closer to five months -or something like that.

But he was even more surprised to find that Zelda was having three babies! He’d looked at her with new respect when she told him that; he knew from the complaints of the women in Ordon that carrying one was hard enough.

He almost laughed at the irony of it; there was a time, when he was about ten, that Rusla made him help care for all the pregnant women in the village. He’d complained loudly, saying that he wasn’t a midwife or a woman, and that none of it would ever apply to him. And yet here he was, helping care for the woman he loved and the babies growing inside her.

Several minutes later he heard Zelda leave the bathroom go lie heavily on the recliner. He turned around and watched, entranced, as she drew her smooth creamy legs up and began to rub them with a grimace on her face. She was likely suffering from leg cramps.

He tried to force himself to look elsewhere, but it was pointless, he was being drawn in at the sight of her flawless ivory skin. If he was a weaker man (or perhaps a more confident man) he would’ve thrown himself on her that very instant. As it was, he was having a hard time keeping his attraction to her under control, if his flushed skin and occasional tightness in his pants were any indication.

Then Zelda stiffened and sat up, shock visible on her face, and clutched her swollen belly. He raced over to her, alarm running through him. Complications were all too common in pregnancies and things could go downhill in the blink of an eye. 

As he sat down beside her, multiple terrible scenarios coursing through his mind, he asked, “What’s wrong, Zelda? What is it?” 

She stared at him, eyes bright, then snatched his hands up and placed them on her bump.

“Wha-”

“Shh, just feel.”

It was then that he felt the fluttering kicks of a tiny body pushing through her belly. Joy and relief surged through him all at once. Nothing was wrong, she was okay, just a little caught off guard.

“It’s the first time I’ve ever felt them move.” She said in awe.

His eyes met hers and a shockwave of emotion passed between them. They reached for each other simultaneously and he embraced her from behind, wrapping his arms around her life filled womb. She leaned into him, laying her head just beneath his shoulders and closed her eyes.

He breathed in a deploy, inhaling the comforting scent of cinnamon and wildflowers. For the first time in a long time, his mind and the wolf’s were as one, no more fighting over instincts. An overwhelming feeling of peace washed over him, and he felt, that here, in this woodland cabin, Zeldas and his children within his arms, for a moment, he was whole again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm finally motivated to write this story again! I have to be in a certain mood to write this and I was so busy working on Goddess Mother and the Eternal Bonds series that I didn't give it a second thought. But I think I'll be posting again soon so stay tuned!


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